Railway-velocipede.



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RAILWAY VELCIPEDE.

Patented Dct. 23, |900.

(Applicayinn led Jan. 24, 1900., 4

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT.- OFFICE.

JOSEPH E. JOHNSON, OF PARIS, TENNESSE-E.

lRAILWAY-VELOCIPEDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part or 'Letters Patent No. 660,298, dated october 23, 1900.

Application filed January 24, 1900. Serial No.v 25659. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH E. J OHNsON, al

citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Henry'and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Rail` way-Velocipede, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in` railway-v elocipedes; and the primary object that I have in view is to provide means adapted to be applied to and used in connection with an ordinary bicycle of the safety pat- Itern for the purpose of converting such bicycle into a velocipede adapted to run with aocuracy upon the rails of an ordinary track.

A further object is to provide a construction by which the velocipede is caused when in use to be retained on the trackrails and to pass safely over switches and crossings against any tendency to derailment.

A further object is to providean attachment of improvedconstruction by which the wheels thereof may be adjusted to tracks which vary in gage and also are adapted to bicycle-frames ofdierent heights.

With these ends in view the invention con- .sists in the novel'combination ot' devices and in the construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafterfully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand theinvention, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, the latter forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating my attachment applied to an ordinary safetyview through a part of the bicycle-frame, illustrating a hanger and a wheel supported thereby.

The same numerals of reference are used to indicate likegand corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

In carrying my invention into practice I employ two pairs of rods which converge to a common fitting or'coupling, the rods of one pair being fastened to a front fork of a bicycle and the rods of the other pair being pro- `vided with means for attachment to the rear r fork of a bicycle. The pair of rods for attachment to the front bicycle-fork are indi.

cated by the numerals IO-and 1l, While the other pair of rods for attachment to the rear bicycle-fork are indicated by 12 and 13. The

rods are preferably tubular, and, as before I indicated, they converge from their points of attachment to the bicycle-trame to the coinmon fitting or coupling 14, one type of which is shownl more clearly by Figs. 2 and 401 the ment at dilterent points on the forks of the bicycle-frame, so as to' thoroughly brace and steady the latter.

The fitting 14 is shown by Figa as consisting of a plate having a series of arms 15 and a spindle 17, the arms ofv said fitting adapted to individually be received within the outer ends of the converging tubular rods, suitable olainping.- screws 16 being mounted in the ends of the tubular rods, so

as to bind against the arms Aof the fitting for the purpose of holding the outer ends ot' the tubular rods practically at a common point.

The spindle 17 extends from the plate of the fitting or coupling, on the opposite side thereof from the series of arms,'and on this spindle is revolubly mounted the guide-wheel18,

which is adapted to one ofthe rails of the track. I'prefer to equip this guide-wheel 18 with ball-bearings 19 and with an internal flange 20, the latter adapted to ride against the inner edge of a track-rail. It is also my practice to employ a cushion-tread `21 on the periphery of the wheel, said tread being in the form of an annular band of rubber, leather, or other suitable material adapted to minimize the vibration and noise due to the travel of the wheel on the track-rail.

, bar.

` medium ofthe bolts 30.

The tubular rods of the-attachment are provided at their `inner ends with clips 23, one of which is shown more clearly by Fig. 5. This clip has a shank, which is insertible in the inner end of the tubular rod, so as to be held therein by a binding-screw 24. The projecting end of the clip is formed with` an elastic or divided eye 25, which maybe fitted around a member of the bicycle-fork, and this eye-formed en d of the clip has a plate 26, which overlaps the shank 23, whereby a binding screw or bolt 27 may be passed through the shank and the plate for the purpose of rmly holding lthe parts together and making the eye fast with the fork. My attachment 'also contem plates the employment of a steadying-wheel, which is arranged betweenland in alinement with the front and rear wheels of a bicycle, and this steadying-wheel is mounted in an extensible or adjustable hanger 28,`

which is clamped firmly to the horizontal and inclined reach bars of the bicycle-frame. (See Figs. l and G.) This hanger 28 is shown Vas embodied in a metallic bar, doubled or bent upon itself so as to fit over the reach-bars in a manner to straddlethe upper reach-bar and to laterally em brace the lower inclined reach- To minimize the abrasion on the enamel or finish of the bicycle-frame, I prefer to interpose pads 29 of any suitable material between the hanger and the reach-bars, and this hanger is clamped lirmly in place by drawing its branches together through the The doubled hanger hasits ends below the inclined reach-bar bent to form the diverging legs 3l, against which legs are applied the extension-straps 32, which are fastened adjustably to the hanger, so as to raise or lower the stead ying-wheel. These extension-straps are provided with longitudinal slots 33, and they are applied laterally against the hanger-legs, so as to receive the clamping-bolts 34, whereby the straps may be raised or lowered on and clamped firmly to the hanger. An axle 35 is supported in any suitable way in the lower ends of the eX- tension-straps, and on this axle is revolubly fitted the steadying-wheel 36, the same being arranged between the straps, as shown more clearly by Fig. 6.

The steadying-wheel is provided at its inner edge with an annular radial iiange 37, and this wheel may or may not be furthermore provided with a cushion-tread.

In the adaptation of my invention shown by Figs. l to 3,inc1usive I have illustrated a bicycle of the ordinary safety pattern and which is indicated in its entirety by the numeral 3S, said safety-bicycle being of the usual chainless variety and equipped with inflatable tires and other accessories. I do not desire, however, to confine myself to any particular style of bicycle, because the improvements of my invention are applicable to different kinds of bicycles, as will be obvi ous to those skilled in the art.

In applying my improvements to a bicycle the clips 23 ofthe several rods are adjusted to the front and rear rforks substantially as shown by Fig. l, and the clam ping-screws 27 are tightened to make the clips and the rods fast with the frame. The hanger 28 is also applied to the upper and lower reachbars, so as to support the steadying-wheel 36 in a position between and in alinement with the front and rear wheels of the bicycle. If desired, the tubular rods maybe adjusted on the arms of the fitting and the shanks of the clips to place the guide-wheel at a proper distance from the steadying-wheel, an d thereby enable the several wheels of the velocipede to travel on the rails of an ordinary track. justment of the parts provides for the velocipede traveling on tracks which may vary in gage. The adjustment of the extensionstraps on the legs of the hanger enables the steadying-wheel to be raised or lowered, so that the bicycle-wheels may properly ride on the track rail. It will be noted that the guide-wheel and the steadying-wheel are provided on their opposing or contiguous sides with the annular flanges, and this construction is important, because the velocipede is adapted to travel over crossings and through switches of a railway-track with safety, thus minimizing anytendency to derailment of the velocipede. The machine may be propelled by foot-power in the ordinary way, and the divergence of the two pairs of rods toward the bicycle-frame enables the rid er to propel the machine without hindrance from the attachment. The tubular rods and the hanger maybe readily disconnected, so that the bicycle can be used in the ordinary way.

My attachment is simple in construction, efficient and durable in service, and iswcomparatively cheap of manufacture. The use of the attachment converts a bicycle into avelocipede adapted to maintain itself on a track and to travel with safety over crossings and through switches.

Changes within the scope of the appended claims may be made in the'form and proportion of some of the parts, while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention is embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom. v

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is- 1. An attachment for railway-velocipedes comprising a iitting or coupling, two pairs of rods converging toward said coupling and having means for attachment to the front and rear forks of a bicycle-frame, a wheel mounted on said fitting or coupling, and a wheeled hanger attachable to the bicycle-frame be tween the attachment of the respective pairs of rods, substantially as described.

2. An attachment for railway-velocipedes comprising two pairs of rods converging toward each other and each, having means for attachment to the front and rear forks of a This ad- ICO tof;

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bicycle, a fitting to which said rods are indi. vidnally secured, a wheel revoluble on said fitting, and a hanger also adapted for attachment to a bicycle-frame and carrying a steadying-wheel, substantially as described.

3. An attachment for railway-velocipedes comprising two pairs of tubular. converging rods provided with means for fastening the saine to the front and rear forks, respectively, 'of a bicycle-frame, a fitting adjustably fastened to said rods at one end thereof, attaching-clips connected adjnstably to the rods at the other ends thereof, and a wheeled hanger attachable to the bicycle-frame between the attachment of the respective pairs of rods, substantially as described.

4. An attachment for railway-velocipedes, comprising two pairs of tubular rods, a series of clips each clamped to one of said rods and having an eye adapted to be clamped to a bicycle-frame, said series of eye-clips arranged to fasten the respective pairs of rods to the front and rear forks of said bicycle-fram e, and a wheel revolnbly supported at the outer ends of said rod, substantially as described.

5. An attachment for railway-velocipedes comprising a vertical hanger. having means for engagement with the reach-bars of a bicycle-frame between the wheels thereof, a sreadying-wheel, and means for adjustably supporting said wheel on said hanger, substantially as described.

6. An attachment for railway-velocipedes comprising a hanger, extension straps 7. In arailway-velocipede, the combination with a bicycle, of a series of rods clamped to the front and rear forks of said bicycle and converging toward each other, a spindle supported by said rods at their convergent ends,

a guide-Wheel revoluble on said spindle, a t i hanger clamped on the frame of said bicycle between the front and rear Wheels thereof, and a steadying-wheel supported by the hanger between the front and rear bicyclel wheels, substantially as described.

8. In a railway-velocipede', the combination with a bicycle, of pairs of converging bars clamped to the front and rear bicycle-forks and converging at` their outer ends, a guidewheel supported at said outer ends `of the bars and provided on its inner side with a rail-flange, a hanger clamped to the reachbars of lthe vbicycle-frame, `and a steadying- Y wheel journaled in the hangerbetween the bicycle-Wheels and likewise provided onits inner side with a rail-flange, substantially as described. 1

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' JOSEPH E. JOHNSON. Witnesses:

D. ZIMERMAN, W. H. DAvEY. 

